99% of the time, if it says refurbished and a great deal or surplus, you just know someone is trying to rip you off. However, I’ve found a few places where really great customer oriented companies take returns and the refurbished thing makes some sense. Here are some that I troll:
* The Apple Store (U.S.). Apple has become such a great customer service company that I think their refurbished stuff makes some sense. For instance, you can get a Mac Mini for $379 which is a slight discount but it does come with a one year warranty whcih is nice.
* “Costco Refurbished”:http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=4365&whse=&topnav=&hierPath=84*4365*4762*. Normally, buying just computers has never been a great deal when refurbished since they go obsolete so quickly, but I sometime troll the late model refurbished models at Costco. Haven’t bought one yet, but the prices are decent.